South Africa
14/02/2013 / SOUTH AFRICA
Mandela's university kicks all students off campus after protest
Fort Hare University’s main campus, in Alice, South Africa, is eerily quiet today. That’s because the administration of this renowned college, which counts Nelson Mandela and Robert Mugabe as former students, has sent its entire student body home, following days of protests against sharply rising lodging fees. Read more...
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21/01/2013 / SOUTH AFRICA
Wrong side of the tracks: Soweto township residents "left by wayside"
On one side of the railroad tracks in Kliptown township, in Soweto, are crowded rows of shacks, most made with corrugated iron. On the other side is Walter Sisulu Square, where apartheid opponents signed the landmark Freedom Charter back in 1955 and which now features retail stores, banks, tour operators, office space, and a four-star hotel. Read more…
17/08/2012 / SOUTH AFRICA
S. Africa miner killings 'shocking, but apartheid comparisons exaggerated'
South Africans are still reeling from the news that police killed 34 striking miners on Thursday. Brutal footage of the incident, which shows police shooting dozens of live rounds at the protesters, has prompted many comparisons to apartheid-era violence. We asked several of our Observers in South Africa for their reactions. Read more...
05/07/2012 / SOUTH AFRICA
The battle for basic services in South Africa’s Walmer township
Made up in part of makeshift homes built out of corrugated iron and wooden pallets, many in Walmer Township, located in the South African city of Port Elizabeth, live without basics such as running water. Outraged over living conditions, the township was hit by a wave of unrest earlier this week after protests calling for greater services turned violent. While an uneasy calm has since settled over the community, the township’s residents are still waiting to see if their demands will be fully met. Read more…
11/06/2012 / SOUTH AFRICA
Welcome to Woodstock, a Cape Town neighbourhood beautified by street art
A giant cat wrapped around a window, a multi-coloured rhinoceros, a peacock bearing the names of neighbourhood children on each of its feathers… These giant works of art and many more decorate the streets of Woodstock, just east of Cape Town. And they’ve given new life to this suburb’s rundown walls. Read more...
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21/02/2012 / SOUTH AFRICA
Women hold ‘miniskirt march’ against sexual violence
Thousands of scantily clad women rallied in the streets of Johannesburg last week for a “Miniskirt March” to condemn high levels of sexual violence in South Africa. Our Observer shares her views on being a woman in South Africa and why it was important for her to participate in the march. Read more…
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28/01/2011 / SOUTH AFRICA
Voices from Qunu, Nelson Mandela’s hometown
As South Africans anxiously waited to hear more news about Nelson Mandela’s health, our Observer traveled to Qunu, a small village in the Eastern Cape that is best known for being the former leader’s hometown. Read his report...
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13/09/2010 / SOUTH AFRICA
“How I happened to celebrate the end of Ramadan in Cape Town”
Muslims worldwide celebrated the end of the Ramadan period of fasting last Thursday. The Muslim community of Cape Town, South Africa, marked this special evening by distributing hundreds of hot meals to the homeless. Our Observer, a Buddhist, joined them for a memorable night. Read her account...
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19/08/2010 / SOUTH AFRICA
Hospitals blocked as South African unions resume massive strikes
After a brief World Cup reprieve, South African unions have resumed massive, ongoing strikes for higher wages. Schools closed, trials were postponed and hospitals left nearly empty on Thursday as 1 million civil servants across the country stopped working. Read more...
24/06/2010 / WORLD CUP
The Bafana Bafana may be the stars of the 2010 World Cup, but a team of spunky grandmas have also won South African hearts. Read more and watch the video...
South Africa's grannies play football too
The Bafana Bafana may be the stars of the 2010 World Cup, but a team of spunky grandmas have also won South African hearts. Read more and watch the video...
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